TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors affecting stunting in children aged 6–23 months in South Sumatra Province, Indonesia
AU - Andreinie, Ria
AU - Sekartini, Rini
AU - Chandra, Dian Novita
AU - Mudjihartini, Ninik
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© (2024), (Malaysian Journal of Nutrition). All rights reserved.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Introduction: South Sumatra Province in Indonesia has a relatively high prevalence of stunting and there is limited research about this phenomenon in this area. The study aimed to identify what factors affected stunting in children aged 6–23 months in the province. Methods: Using a comparative cross-sectional design involving 139 mothers with children aged 6–23 months, the study collected data from September to December 2022 via anthropometric measurements and interviews using a questionnaire. Data on parental, child, socioeconomic, and environmental factors were analysed using chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Overall, there were significant relationships among the following variables: child’s age (p=0.031), birth length (p=0.017), and weight-for-age (WAZ) status (p<0.001) with stunting. Children in the underweight and severely underweight categories were 28.7 times at risk of stunting compared to those in the normal category of WAZ status; children aged 12–23 months had a 2.8 times risk of stunting compared to children aged 6–11 months, while stunted birth length showed a 4.6 times risk of stunting compared to that of normal birth length. Conclusion: This research found that child age, birth length, and WAZ status were significant factors affecting stunting in the South Sumatra Province. Given these results, this study offers recommendations for the provincial government to focus on intervention programmes that provide additional food for pregnant women with chronic energy deficiency, monitor the growth of toddlers, and manage toddlers with nutritional problems in this province.
AB - Introduction: South Sumatra Province in Indonesia has a relatively high prevalence of stunting and there is limited research about this phenomenon in this area. The study aimed to identify what factors affected stunting in children aged 6–23 months in the province. Methods: Using a comparative cross-sectional design involving 139 mothers with children aged 6–23 months, the study collected data from September to December 2022 via anthropometric measurements and interviews using a questionnaire. Data on parental, child, socioeconomic, and environmental factors were analysed using chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Overall, there were significant relationships among the following variables: child’s age (p=0.031), birth length (p=0.017), and weight-for-age (WAZ) status (p<0.001) with stunting. Children in the underweight and severely underweight categories were 28.7 times at risk of stunting compared to those in the normal category of WAZ status; children aged 12–23 months had a 2.8 times risk of stunting compared to children aged 6–11 months, while stunted birth length showed a 4.6 times risk of stunting compared to that of normal birth length. Conclusion: This research found that child age, birth length, and WAZ status were significant factors affecting stunting in the South Sumatra Province. Given these results, this study offers recommendations for the provincial government to focus on intervention programmes that provide additional food for pregnant women with chronic energy deficiency, monitor the growth of toddlers, and manage toddlers with nutritional problems in this province.
KW - birth length
KW - child age
KW - stunting
KW - WAZ status
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85201369660&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.31246/mjn-2023-0101
DO - 10.31246/mjn-2023-0101
M3 - Article
SN - 1394-035X
VL - 30
SP - 129
EP - 142
JO - Malaysian Journal of Nutrition
JF - Malaysian Journal of Nutrition
IS - 2
ER -